This paper is for the purpose of documenting several views on the role and witness of the

Spirit to the Christian. The first division of this paper will give attention to John Wesley and his
views during the early, middle, and later years of his life. The second division will bring to our
attention Dr. Alan Browns viewpoint and the Scriptures he uses to support those viewpoints.
The last division will be a summary of my own beliefs and how they correlate to Rev. John
Wesley and Dr. Browns viewpoints.
John Wesley as a young man in his twenties and early thirties did not even believe in
such a thing as the Witness of the Spirit. His hope of Heaven during these early years was
based upon his own efforts to live a holy life, but he did not have an assurance of where he
would spend eternity. Although Wesley did not believe during this time that he could be sure of
where he would spend eternity, he did his utmost best to love God and to do good works. At the
age of thirty-two John and his brother, Charles went as missionaries to Georgia. Over a year and
a half later as John was sailing back to England from the colonies his ship encountered a large
storm. There were many Moravians on board and John noticed that even their women and
children were not fearful of their fate. This is when John was first introduced to the concept of
salvation by faith and the witness of the spirit to a soul that all was clear between God and
themself. John Wesley did not readily accept this new view at all! Over time though, as John
spent time with Peter Bohler, a Moravian, and as he studied the Bible he began to see that his
own view did not correspond with Scripture. Wesley still longed for further proof and Rev.
Bohler gladly brought three men who all testified to saving faith and the witness of the spirit.
Even when confronted with these witnesses John still did not immediately possess saving faith.
A few days later John Wesley was attending a religious meeting in Aldersgate Street, when the
light really dawned in on him, immediately he believed he was saved by faith, and he felt the
witness of the Spirit. Mr. Wesley described it as, "About a quarter before nine, while he was
describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart
strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was
given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and
death."
1
However, it wasnt long until the initial feeling subsided and John was thrown into
confusion. He thought that there must be a feeling inside, that being the witness of the Spirit that
all was well. Johns personal turmoil and uncertainty that resulted from this view can be seen in
the following excerpt from his diary dated January 4, 1739.
One who had had the form of godliness many years wrote the following reflections: My
friends affirm that I am mad, because I said I was not a Christian a year ago. I affirm I am not a
Christian now. Indeed, what I might have been I know not, had I been faithful to the grace then
given, when, expecting nothing less, I received such a sense of the forgiveness of my sins as till
then I never knew. But that I am not a Christian at this day I as assuredly know as that Jesus is
the Christ. For a Christian is one who has the fruits of the Spirit of Christ, which (to mention no
more) are love, peace, joy. But these I have not. I have not any love of God. I do not love either
the Father or the Son. Do you ask, how do I know whether I love God? I answer by another
question, "How do you know whether you love me?" Why, as you know whether you are hot or
cold. You feel this moment that you do or do not love me. And I feel this moment I do not love
God; which therefore I know because I feel it. There is no word more proper, more clear, or
more strong.
2

During the middle stage of his life Mr. Wesley still held pretty closely to the fact that the
witness of the Spirit always accompanies assurance of salvation. An example of this can be seen

1
Philip Watson, Anatomy of a Conversion (Grand Rapids, MI: Asbury Press, 1990), 6. PDF E-Book

2
Philip Watson, Anatomy of a Conversion (Grand Rapids, MI: Asbury Press, 1990), 18-19. PDF E-Book
in an excerpt from a letter he wrote in 1940, I never yet knew one soul thus saved without what
you call the faith of assurance; I mean a sure confidence that by the merits of Christ he was
reconciled to the favour of God.
3
As time went on though John began to realize that he had
needlessly discouraged sincere souls who believed they were saved or sanctified holy, but did
not have a feeling to go along with their experience. He was still somewhat cautious in affirming
that the work was definitely done in their heart if they were unable to identify having the witness
of the Spirit, and he encouraged them to keep seeking until they had it. By 1945, according to
Mark Noll, the Wesley brothers were already pulling back from the strict position they held on
the absolute necessity of the witness of the Spirit. They were not willing to say for sure that it
was necessary for someone to be saved.
During the later years of Wesleys life he continued to hold this amended view of the
witness of the Spirit. We find a summary of Wesleys mature view in a paper entitled, John
Wesley and the Doctrine of Assurance by Mark Noll. It is as follows, I do not insist on the term
"impression." I say again, I will thank anyone that will find a better [term]: be it "discovery,"
"manifestation," "deep sense," or whatever it may be. That some consciousness of our being in
favour with God, is joined with Christian faith, I cannot doubt.
4
Mark Noll also points out that
Wesley was careful to say that there must be Christian fruit from a persons life or their witness
of the Spirit was not what they claimed and vice versa.
We will now take a look at Dr. Alan Browns view on the witness of the Spirit. Dr.
Brown does not believe that ecstatic feelings are necessary or that they necessarily accompany
salvation or entire sanctification. Dr. Brown would say that, Feelings prove only that you have

3
Mark A. Noll, John Wesley and the Doctrine of Assurance (Deerfield,IL:, Unknown year of publication) 8 PDF E-
Book
4
Mark A. Noll, John Wesley and the Doctrine of Assurance (Deerfield,IL:, Unknown year of publication) 11 PDF E-
Book
had an experience. Dr. Brown is not discounting all feelings, but he is striving to counterbalance
those that say in order to be saved you must have rapturous feelings of some sort in order to
know that you are saved or sanctified wholly. On the other opposite side though, Dr. Brown does
believe that when you know you have fulfilled Gods conditions and believe that the work is
done there will be a certain abiding peace within your heart. It may not be some wild emotion,
but there ought to be a peace and rest at knowing everything is taken care of.
According to Dr. Brown there are several steps to be taken before a person is in the position
to receive the witness of the Spirit that all is clear between them and God. All three of these steps
can be found in Hebrews 11:6. The first of these steps is to, believe what God says.
5
The
second step is that we commit to doing what we find God requires in His Word, and the third
step is that we believe and rest on his promises. This last step is the one people are the most
hesitant to follow, but in order to receive the witness of the Spirit we must follow all three steps.
The last step, especially, is instrumental in preparing our hearts to receive the witness of the
Spirit. As Dr. Brown puts it, The act of trusting in and resting on the promises of God is the
way to have what the Apostle John calls the witness (or assurance) in us. Notice that when you
truly believe Gods witness to us through His word, you receive an internal witness (assurance)
from God. This is an inner rest of mind and heart that comes from believing that God has done
for you what He promised He would do. Dr. Brown is referencing I John 5:9-15 where John
talks about the witness of God within us.
I like best the following summary Dr. Brown gives of his position on the Witness of the
Spirit. The primary way a person gains assurance that God has either saved him or entirely
sanctified him is by faith in Gods word. Faith believes that God is able to perform what He has

5
Allan Brown, The Necessity and Nature of Biblical Faith, Website https://gbs.brainhoney.com/2010-
05/Frame/Component/CoursePlayer?enrollmentid=11751373. Retrieved 04-24-13 9:01 a.m.
promised in Holy Scripture. Faith is the conviction and assurance that God is able and willing to
do what he promised now (if the conditions of the promise have been met), and this is the
conviction and assurance that He indeed does it now. Faith rest in a sure confidence that God
does now fulfill His promise because He always does what He says He will do. You are not
exercising faith if you are waiting for a special emotion in order to trust God. You must securely
rest in the fact that, if you have met the conditions of Gods promise, He has done what He
promised.
6

The third and final section of this paper will be a summary of my personal views and how
they relate to both Rev. John Wesley and Dr. Allan Brown. First of all, I would like to share how
my views correspond to those of Wesley. I think that Wesleys early view was too harsh and
does not match up with reality because feelings come and feelings go. Even Wesley himself
found that his early view caused some doubt and confusion in his own mind as to the reality of
his assurance. I believe that the view Wesley held later in his life, that the witness of the Spirit
may not come when a person first believes on God for salvation, or that the initial feeling of
assurance may ebb or flow when no sin has been committed, is a view that corresponds with
reality.
Secondly, I also feel that I agree with Dr. Browns view which parallels Wesleys more
mature view of the witness of the Spirit. I appreciate the fact that Dr. Brown does not hold an
emotional experience as the surety of salvation or sanctification. Neither my salvation or
sanctification were mountain peaks of joyous feelings, but that does not matter when you have
the witness of the Spirit that the work is done. When I was saved there was such a peace and rest
inside, no joyous shouting, but I remember just having a peace inside. During the next few days I
sought to be entirely sanctified and I got to the place where I did not know what else there was to

6
Allan Brown, I Believe (Cincinnati, OH: Revivalist Press, 2006), 136-138.
make right, or pray about. I had done everything I knew to do and was walking in obedience to
God. I finally came to the place where I had to give up the carnal trait of unbelief and just trust
and rest in Gods Word. I never had any mighty inrushing of love like I expected or any amazing
overflowing of emotions. Looking back I am so glad that I didnt. God knew that during the
times Satan would come around and tell me that I had not been sanctified an emotional
experience could have made me doubt the reality of my entire sanctification. However, since
there was no emotional experience I just go back to the fact that I knew the work was done. I was
a different person after those few days, Praise the Lord! My own experience taught me that God
gives the witness of the Spirit to different people in different ways. What really matters is that
the individual has obeyed Him, settled it in their heart that they are going through with God, and
then they will receive an assurance that all is clear between themself and God.